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I had a few unusual family traditions growing up. It was a family tradition that my mum worked on Christmas day. And now that I’m 31, she still works Christmas day. My brother and I used to race against each other to “pinch, punch, first of the month". Our family vacations consisted of going to my nan’s house in the country a few times a year. Sure we had big family holidays. But they were never overseas. And they were only every four or so years. Creating family traditions But now that I am a parent, I have an idea [...]

Birthday season is upon me and the majority are first birthdays. Between friends, family & parents group, there are about 10 in the span of 2 months, not including my own daughter. On top of all the first birthdays, I also have my mother in law’s birthday, my mothers birthday and my husband is turning 30. Then after all of those, it's Christmas! So what do you even get for a one-year-old? I’m sure they have enough clothes. I’m positive they don't need any more toys. And if they are anything like my daughter, are happy to play with the [...]

Years ago a friend of mine used to always update her Facebook status with a long list of mundane things that she had done for the day. Vacuumed, mopped the floors, changed the bed sheets, washed the towels, washed two loads of clothes, folded all the clothes and put them away, mowed lawn etc. You get the picture. Sometimes posts like that appeared several times a day, each time with new things added to the list. She thought she was a super mum. And I get it now. Now that I am a mum, the household chores often fall by [...]

I wouldn’t change a thing. But if I can pass on a small nugget of advice to anyone, it would make my day. I don’t like to use the word regret. It implies that you would change it if you had the chance. I wouldn’t change a thing but there are a few things I wish I did before becoming a parent. 5 things I wish I did before becoming a parent Save Money I saved like mad until I moved in with my husband. That’s how we managed to have such a decent house deposit. It’s also how we [...]

People give you a lot of advice when you are a parent. And to be honest, sometimes the advice even starts before you fall pregnant. The best parenting advice I ever received came from my parent's group facilitator. But first I should explain what parents group is. I’m lucky enough to live in a fantastic area that provides government-run groups for first-time parents. I was placed in a group in my local area with parents that had similarly aged children. My daughter was nine weeks old at our first meeting, along with all but one older baby. There was a [...]

After childbirth, everyone wants to hear your birth story. What you expected, what you experienced and of course what pain medication you had. My number one goal for the birth of my daughter was to avoid a cesarean. The next goal was to avoid an induced labour. But I was given an induction date at my 40-week appointment. Which was 12 days after my due date. I honestly didn’t try to interfere too much but I felt confident that I could avoid being induced. I had two ‘stretch and sweeps’, the second being a bit more vigorous than the first. [...]